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U.S. to host Copa America for first time in 2016

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — The United States will host a special 16-nation edition of the Copa America in 2016, marking the tournament’s centennial.

The Copa will run from June 3-26, overlapping the European Championship in France from June 10 to July 10. In addition, qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup are scheduled from May 30 to June 7.

Copa America organizers have asked FIFA to put the event on the international calendar, which would mean clubs would have to release players to national teams. A decision by FIFA is not expected before September.

CONMEBOL and CONCACAF announced the South American championship special on Thursday.

"This was two years in the making," CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb said. "Now I know why it took 100 years."

The U.S. and Mexico will be among the six teams representing CONCACAF, which also will send the winner of this year’s Caribbean and Central American Cups. The other two teams will be determined by playoffs involving the four non-qualified nations that advance farthest in next year’s CONCACAF Gold Cup. All 10 CONMEBOL teams will participate.

The regular Copa America is scheduled for 2015 in Chile and 2019 in Brazil.

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